NBA Hits PJ Tucker With Huge Disciplinary Punch For Demanding A Trade

The NBA had decided before this season that it's heard just about enough of players demanding trades publicly while still under contract. It insisted it would impose huge fines for any players or agents that insisted on doing so. Today, they handed out their largest player fine of the season to PJ Tucker for publicly demanding a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers just hours before the February 8th trade deadline. 

NBA fined PJ Tucker $75,000 for public trade demand on Feb. 5.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 15, 2024

Tucker is now $75,000 lighter in the wallet... And oh yes, he's still a Clipper. 

The 38-year-old has been nailed to the end of Tyronn Lue's bench since late November, sitting through 37 straight DNP-CDs (Did Not Play–Coach's Decision). 

"I want to be somewhere where I'm needed, wanted and can do it all," Tucker said on the morning of Feb. 8. "I don't know what's going to happen but I have my fingers crossed and I'm hoping to go somewhere else whether I get bought out and choose where I go or where I can play."

His current run on the end of the bench is the longest such stretch of his career (by a long shot), as Tucker has most always been a starter throughout his 13-year NBA career, including as recently as last season, when he started all 75 games he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, garnering 25+ minutes per contest. 

This season, after being dealt by Philly in the James Harden deal to the Clippers, Tucker played 12 games in LA, averaging just 14 minutes on the floor per night along with 1.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 27% from three-point range.

Photo: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports